An investigation of customer behaviours in social media

Abstract

As a recent technological improvement, social media allows people to communicate with each other and the usage of social media has been prevalent recently. Although occurrence of consumption related interactions is inevitable in the social media communication tools, the subject has not been taken enough attention in marketing science to determine and classify these interactions. Present study investigates the consumer or consumption related behaviours which are occurred in social media. Under the scope of the study, previous researches about the subject are scrutinized at first. Moreover indebt interviews were conducted to reveal the behaviours in social media and a questionnaire were prepared to make a quantitative analysis to determine and classify the possible consumption related behaviours. After that, survey was conducted with students of Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences of Kirikkale University who are common users of social media tools. Obtained data were analyzed statistically and findings were interpreted. As a result of factor analysis, the customer behaviours in social media are classified in three main titles; behaviours to influence consumption, behaviours to be influenced by others for consumption and using social medial as a consumption related communication tool. At last research findings were interpreted and suggestions were made. © EuroJournals, Inc. 2012.